O.C. activists hold a vigil for detained immigrants

SANTA ANA – Immigrants-rights activists held a vigil Tuesday at Sasscer Park in solidarity with the "Dream 9," a group of nine people from across the U.S. taken to a detention center in Arizona after petitioning to re-enter the country from Mexico on humanitarian grounds.

About 15 people gathered at the vigil organized by the Orange County Dream Team, a grass roots group that advocates for undocumented students of all ethnic backgrounds.

"It's unprecedented. I don't think anybody else has thought of doing something like that and actually followed through with it," said Hairo Cortes, 20, of the Orange County Dream Team. "It's a whole different level of courage."

Lizbeth Mateo, Lulu Martinez and Marco Saavedra are the three youths who recently and voluntarily left the U.S. to organize the protest from Mexico with the National Immigrant Youth Alliance. They were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and have no legal status. Six other undocumented youths who have left or been deported from the U.S. accompanied the three activists.

The group wants to draw attention to the jump in deportations under President Barack Obama's administration and reaffirm their connection to the country where they were raised.

Customs and Border Protection officials detained the activists Monday after they filed applications for humanitarian parole at the Nogales border crossing to try to return to the United States.

On Tuesday afternoon, the National Immigrant Youth Alliance said the group was taken late Monday to the Florence Detention Center moved to another facility Tuesday morning due to lack of space.

Cortes said fellow Orange County Dream Team organizers have been reacting online through the team's Facebook page, urging followers to call for the release of the Dream 9.

The group is calling on Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana,to support the release of the Dream 9, Cortes said.

Jesus Cortez, 32, of Anaheim said the vigil was also in support of immigrants who are not considered "DREAMers."

Under Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, unauthorized immigrants brought as children can be eligible to stay in the U.S. Immigrants who meet the criteria are commonly referred to as "DREAMers" because they involve most of the individuals who meet the requirements of the Dream Act.

"We're not all so-called 'DREAMers.' ... Because of that, we're also in solidarity with everyone that tries to cross the border and unfortunately does not get the same treatment. ... A lot of us don't have access to legal services, and a lot of people would probably not dare to show up at the border patrol like that," Cortez said.